Today, on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump will meet with

Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/AP

Today, on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump will meet with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in.

This meeting comes as Mr Moon moves to progress negotiations regarding North Korea’s nuclear programme, most recently by visiting Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang last week. This summit resulted in a vague pledge by North Korea to destroy a central missile site and nuclear facility contingent on the United States’ reciprocal cooperation. Reportedly, Mr Moon now seeks a concrete commitment to end the Korean War after today’s meeting with Mr Trump.

The South Korean president faces the daunting challenge of convincing not only Mr Trump that Mr Kim has good intentions but also the dozens of others sceptic world leaders present in New York, as the denuclearisation of North Korea is undoubtedly a priority of the Assembly’s talks in these coming weeks. Shifting the general pessimistic opinion will be difficult, as critics will demand more than verbal evidence that Mr Kim’s pledge is resolute. Even if Mr Trump comes forth with further support for Mr Moon’s agenda, it may be too soon to expect vast advancements in negotiations.

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